Kenzo’s Carol Lim and Humberto Leon have a pretty impressive track record when it comes to collaborating with acclaimed film directors. In the past couple of years alone, they’ve worked with The Doom Generation’s Gregg Araki, Tangerine’s Sean Baker, Portlandia’s Carrie Brownstein – as well as with the godfather of surrealist cinema himself, David Lynch, on the set for their AW14 show.
Now the design duo has teamed up with Spike Jonze – the director behind Her, Where the Wild Things Are and Being John Malkovich – on an electrifying advertising campaign for their brand’s new fragrance, Kenzo World.
Titled My Mutant Brain, the three-and-a-half minute film sees actor and model Margaret Qualley perform an insane dance routine choreographed by Ryan Heffington, who has worked with FKA twigs and Sia on her music video “Chandelier.” This becomes clear when you see Qualley’s expressive – or rather, explosive – dancing which bears quite a lot of similaries to that of the then-11-year-old Maddie Ziegler in “Chandelier.”
Despite the beautiful woman in an expensive evening gown, you’ll notice that this isn’t your average fragrance ad – and that’s exactly the point. “When we think about perfume campaigns, we think about a pretty girl with a bottle,” say Lim and Leon. This clip is exactly the opposite. It’s very multi-faceted and different; it takes the spectator by surprise.”
Watch My Mutant Brain below:
